Some of the earliest National Register Historic Districts in the nation, including Fell's Point, Federal Hill, and Mount Vernon, are here, and almost a third of the buildings (over 65,000) are designated historic in the National Register. Consult local friends and take a taxi whenever in doubt.īaltimore has more public statues and monuments per capita than any other city in the country. That said, this is a racially and socioeconomically divided city, with some no-go areas that are best avoided by visitors unfamiliar with city ways. Today, in contrast to most big East Coast cities, the place retains an almost small-town way of welcoming people, a world of difference from say nearby Washington - you won't stand around like a wallflower at the bars here for very long before someone says hello. After New York City, the Inner Harbor here was the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States. The city has a long history of receiving immigrants from many lands. Today The Reginald F Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture is Maryland's largest museum with a focus on the state's and the nation's African-American history and culture, and the African diaspora. Lexington Market, founded in 1782, one of the oldest continuously operating public markets in the United States, was also a place for slave trading. The 1814 Battle of Baltimore inspired the composition of the national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner" with references to the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. The Second Continental Congress met in the Henry Fite House from December 1776 to February 1777, briefly making this the capital of the United States. Named for Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore, a founding proprietor of the Province of Maryland, Baltimore was an anglicization of the Irish Baile an Tí Mhóir. The Town of Baltimore was founded and laid out in July, 1729 west of Jones Falls. The colonial General Assembly of Maryland created the Port of Baltimore at Whetstone Point (now Locust Point) in 1706 for the tobacco trade. In 1661 David Jones was the earliest English settler in the area known today as Jonestown. You'll know the accent from seeing films of native son John Waters.
Newcomers never quite acquire the knack, but the local habit of calling everyone "hon" is much more easily adopted. You've got to grow up here to have that soft twang as the city's name rolls off your tongue. See local situation updates at the City of Baltimore and Maryland Department of Health websites.
See the CDC website for details and updates. There are restrictions on the entry of certain travelers into the United States in an effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Emergency measures in the wake of Covid-19: